1 . J. K. Rowling frequently shows there is magic every day. Her Harry Potter series has helped people through times of stress and depression and she is always there to deliver wise words of encouragement.
She is one celebrity who is very active on Twitter. So when a single dad named Matt Burke sent her a message thanking her for the series, she noticed. Her series had helped strengthen his relationship with his 9yearold daughter Bailey.
He included a link to his article titled Being a Broke Parent. He explained how he hadn’t found a level of financial stability that allowed him to pay bills on time and take his daughter on more activities and events. The family also doesn’t have the Internet or TV, which means there’s no “digital babysitter” and he has to rely on his own creative ways to bond with his daughter. Since he received the series, the main thing that has occupied them these days is reading books together.
Burke admits that he thought he was “too cool” for the books when they first came out and he was in his twenties, but he’s loving reading them now. “We switch off chapter by chapter reading them out loud，“Burke explains.” This not only allows her to get more used to reading aloud in front of someone, but it gets me directly involved in something she loves, and it gives me the chance to be very dramatic when I read my chapters and bring myself into the characters in the book, which has proven to be a ton of fun.”
After hearing Burke’s story, Rowling said how honored she was when Harry Potter was a part of his family’s life and offered Burke more books. Besides, people are also offering to send Burke more books as gifts. For Burke, this experience, far more than gifts, will be what he treasures.
1. Why did Burke thank J. K. Rowling according to the text?| A．She guided him how to write a good story. |
| B．She encouraged him when he was in trouble. |
| C．Her books helped him through times of confusion. |
| D．Her books helped him improve his bond with his daughter. |
| A．He has found it interesting to read the series. | B．He was too old to understand the series better. |
| C．He has chosen a better way of reading the series. | D．He hopes to play a role in the drama in the future. |
| A．Useless. | B．Normal. | C．Valuable. | D．Boring. |
| A．J. K. Rowling chooses to help improve kids’ health. |
| B．J. K. Rowling gives a magical gift to a single father. |
| C．J. K. Rowling has a deep influence on others’ growth. |
| D．Burke comes to know J. K. Rowling through her series. |
2 . This weekend, thousands of motorcyclists are riding on the Black Hills for the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Fair. For many of them, an 8-year-old’s lemonade stand has become a popular stop.
Wyatt started the free lemonade stand last year as a way to raise some money to buy a Lego set. But on the first day, he not only made enough cash to get his toys, but he was able to donate $200 to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. “So now, 50 percent goes to college,” he explained. “30 percent goes to St. Jude and the rest goes to... last year it was Legos, this year it’s a dirt bike.”
This year, Wyatt’s lemonade stand went viral after someone posted about it on social media. “I’m still trying to figure out exactly what happened,” said his mother Robin Dennis. “This just blows my mind.”
So far, the post has been shared more than 60,000 times and encouraged hundreds of bikers from all over the U.S. to the Sturgis motorcycle rally. “He loves it,” said Robin. “He loves seeing the people. He loves waving to the people. Even if they don’t stop, they ride by and honk their horn. He makes many friends and becomes more confident.”
Whether he’s serving lemonade, posing for pictures, or sitting on a motorcycle, Wyatt has become something of a local celebrity. He’s raised enough to donate $4,500 to St. Jude this year and he has no plans to pump the brakes anytime soon.
“As long as he’s having fun doing it and it’s what he wants to do, we’ll be out here every year serving lemonade to everyone who’s here,” his mother said.
1. Why do people stop by a lemonade stand?| A．To advocate the annual fair. | B．To worship the local celebrity. |
| C．To support the little boy. | D．To make lemonade for the charity. |
| A．Relieved. | B．Moved. | C．Content. | D．Amazed. |
| A．Speed. | B．Stop. | C．Decline. | D．Expand. |
| A．Roses given, fragrance in hand. |
| B．Birds of a feature flock together. |
| C．A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit. |
| D．Love shows more in action than in words. |
3 . One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the rural areas with the purpose of showing him how poor people lived. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?”
“It was great, Dad.”
“So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.
The son answered: “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a stream that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.”
“Our courtyard reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them.”
The boy’s father was speechless. Then his son added, “Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.”
Isn’t perspective a wonderful thing? It makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don’t have.
1. Which of the following words can best describe the boy?| A．Naughty and misbehaved. | B．Honest and creative. |
| C．Ambitious and doubtful. | D．Worried and childish. |
| A．The father wanted to show the farmers were poor. |
| B．The boy thought people on the farm lived a rich life. |
| C．The father was very surprised at his son’s answer. |
| D．The boy advised his father to live the farmers’ life. |
| A．To show his family was rich. | B．To prove the farmers’ was rich. |
| C．To show off his cleverness. | D．To make his father speechless. |
| A．From statistics to comparison. | B．From examples to conclusion. |
| C．From a story to inspiration. | D．From observation to action. |
4 . Sara Hinesley, who is 10, doesn’t understand why it is so remarkable that she won a national handwriting competition.
Sara, a third-grade student at St. John Regional Catholie School in Frederick, Maryland, won the 2019 Nicholas Maxim award for her cursive (草书的) handwriting.
She paints and draws, and sculpts clay. She can write in English and some Chinese. When she learnt to write in cursive this year, Sara said, she thought it was “kind of easy”. This is all despite the fact that Sara was born without hands.
To write, Sara holds her pencil between her arms and then focuses on the shapes of letters, each point and curve. “Writing in cursive feels like creating art work,” Sara said. “I like the way the letters are formed. It’s kind of art.”
Sara has never worn a prosthesis (artificial arms), and when she is offered help or a tool that might ease some tasks — such as cutting paper with scissors — she rejects it, said her mother, Cathryn Hinesley She has this independent trend where she just knows that she can do it and she'll figure out her own way. She is beautiful and strong and mighty just the way she is, and she just lives that way. She really does. She moves through life in this way that you never really see her as having a disability because she has a “can do, I-can-solve-anything attitude”
“Sara is an evidence of strong will and the human spirit,” Cathryn said. “Every day I am amazed at the things she is capable to do and that she chooses to do. She doesn't attempt to find her way to avoid s difficulty. She finds a way to finish the task.”
Sara received her national award — a medal — at an award ceremony on June 13, where she was also given a $500 prize. She is the first student from St. John’s to ever receive the Nicholas Maxim award.
1. We can infer from the first sentence that .| A．Sara makes every effort to win the award |
| B．Sara considers it easy to win the award |
| C．Sara doesn’t take the award seriously |
| D．Sara is excited at winning the award |
| A．Brave. | B．Intelligent. | C．Generous. | D．Strong-minded. |
| A．She expects Sara to be independent. | B．She is greatly proud of Sara. |
| C．She doesn’t think Sara has a disability. | D．She is concerned about Sara's future. |
| A．Health. | B．Education. | C．Science. | D．Entertainment. |
5 . One day, Tom’s teacher, Miss Mak, held a class meeting. “There will be a flag day next Saturday. Does anyone want to join this meaningful event?” asked Miss Mak. Tom was interested in raising money for homeless children, but he was not brave enough to talk to the strangers, so he kept quiet in his seat.
“Tom, you haven’t sold flags before,” said Miss Mak suddenly. “Would you like to have a try?” Tom was hesitant, but he finally nodded.
On the flag day, Tom and Angela sold flags in a busy street. “Excuse me. Could y-o-u pl-ea-se buy. . . ? ”said Angela softly to the first person she met. The man smiled and put a five-dollar coin into Angela’s collection bag. Then she said thanks and put a flag under his shoulder. “I did it!” said Angela happily. “It’s your turn now.”
Feeling nervous, Tom began to shake. Soon, he saw a young lady walking towards him. The lady was smiling and holding a few coins in her hand. She asked, “Are you selling flags for Fund for the Homeless Children?” Tom’s face turned red and said yes. Then the lady made the donation and Tom gave her a flag. “You made it! ”laughed Angela.
In the next couple of hours, Angela and Tom sold flags quickly and bravely. At last, their collection bags were so heavy that they had to hold them with both arms. They felt very proud.
1. Why did Tom keep quiet in his seat?| A．He had other plans. | B．He didn’t like Miss Mak. |
| C．He was not interested in the activity. | D．He was not brave enough to talk to the strangers. |
| A．In a busy street. | B．In their school. |
| C．In a tall building. | D．In a small garden. |
| A．Five dollars. | B．Ten dollars. | C．Fifteen dollars. | D．Twenty dollars. |
| A．Bored. | B．Shy. | C．Proud. | D．Sad. |
6 . My teacher held up a piece of broken glass and asked, “Who broke this window?”
Thirty boys tried to think about not only what they had done, but also what the teacher might have found out. She seldom became angry, but she was this time.
“Oh,” I thought. I was the one who broke the window. It was caused by a naughty throw of a baseball. If I admitted guilt, I would be in a lot of trouble. How would I be able to pay for a big window like that? I didn’t even get an allowance. “My father is going to have a fit as a result of it,” I thought. I didn’t want to raise my hand, but some force much stronger than I was pulled it skyward (朝向天空). I told the truth, “I did it.” It was hard enough to say what I had done.
My teacher took down a book from one of our library shelves and I had never known my teacher to strike a student, but I feared she was going to start with me.
“I know how much you like birds,” she said as she stood looking down at my guilt-ridden face. “Here is the field guide about birds that you are constantly checking out. It is yours now. It’s time we got a new one for the school anyway. You will not be punished, but remember that I am not rewarding you for your misdeed (恶行), but I am rewarding you for your truthfulness.”
I couldn’t believe it! I wasn’t being punished and I was getting my own bird field guide — the very one that I had been saving up money to buy.
The lesson my teacher taught me stays with me every day, and it will echo forever.
1. From the story, we can learn that the boy .| A．didn’t break the window on purpose |
| B．lacked the courage to admit his guilt |
| C．tried to think about what he had done |
| D．didn’t know what the teacher had found out |
| A．be punished by the teacher |
| B．make his father angry |
| C．pay for the broken window |
| D．get a bird field guide |
| A．Afraid—Surprised—Thankful. |
| B．Frightened—Amazed—Proud. |
| C．Regretful—Guilty—Excited. |
| D．Nervous—Afraid—Satisfied. |
| A．Every coin has two sides. |
| B．Honesty is always valued. |
| C．Bad luck never comes alone. |
| D．You can’t be too careful. |
7 . A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her, and she did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.
Her father, a cook, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and in the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
The daughter impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them on a plate. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a glass. Turning to her, he asked, “Darling, what do you see?” “Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.
He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. She smiled, as she tasted it.
“What does it mean, father?” she asked. He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity, boiling water, but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong end hard. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they changed the water.
“Which are you?” he asked his daughter. When adversity knocks on your door in your life, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
1. What can be known from the first paragraph?| A．She found her life full of difficulties and she could do nothing about them. |
| B．They were very poor and the daughter complained about it. |
| C．She was fighting and struggling with her classmates so she was not satisfied. |
| D．The daughter complained about her food. |
| A．The carrot was hard as it had been. | B．The egg became soft and fragile. |
| C．There was a different change in every pot. | D．Similar changes happened in the three |
| A．Temperature | B．difficulty | C．Requirement | D．attitude |
| A．that it is natural for people to complain about their difficulties in life |
| B．that a father taught her daughter how to cook at home |
| C．how carrots, eggs and coffee beans change when they are cooked |
| D．what we should do when facing difficulties |
8 . Tongai Matandirotya, who works at Brass Bell Restaurant near Cape Town, left behind his own safety to dive into the cold Atlantic ocean to rescue a mother and daughter swept off the pier (长堤) by a sudden wave.
It was a relatively calm day in the fishing village of Kalk Bay. Several people were walking by the window of Brass Bell looking out to the water. Then the scene changed.
“I saw this wave come over the harbor and cover the people, dragging them into the ocean. I immediately ran outside, undressed myself, and dived into the water because I saw a child go in as well.” Tongai said.
37-year-old Clair Gardiner and her 8-year-old daughter Arya were the people swept away by the wave. Gardiner knew they were being pulled into the water as soon as the wave rushed over them, and she managed to wrap her arms around little Arya.
By now Tongai had dropped the drink he was pouring, taken off his belt and jumped into the water—followed by a tourist unnamed by the news reports. By then the ferocious waves, even just a few meters from shore, had pulled Gardiner and Arya apart. Tongai used his belt to rescue Arya who wasn’t able to stay afloat by herself.
“I recently went to the restaurant to thank him,” Gardiner told local news. “My daughter recognized him immediately, and we all embraced each other. We are so thankful to Tongai and the tourist man who risked their lives to save ours; we’ll forever be grateful to them.”
Tongai noticed he had been badly scratched up by the concrete wall of the pier, but he didn’t care about it. Brass Bell congratulated their man on Facebook, saying they were “so proud” of him, with several comments adding reminders to “tip him well”.
1. What can we learn from the passage?| A．Brass Bell Restaurant rewarded Tongai with some tips. |
| B．Tongai did the rescue perfectly without getting any scratch. |
| C．Gardiner succeeded in wrapping the belt around little Arya. |
| D．Gardiner went specially to the restaurant to express her appreciation. |
| A．Distant. | B．Light. | C．Wild. | D．Peaceful. |
| A．Warm-hearted and confident. | B．Outgoing and optimistic. |
| C．Quick-thinking and courageous. | D．Talkative and determined. |
| A．An Act of Kindness | B．A Heroic Deed by the Sea |
| C．A Sudden Wave to Humans | D．An adventure by the Sea |
9 . Like any new ninth-grader on the first day of school, Joemar Class had ninth-grader- emotion (情绪). He’s not used to school in Hartford. He’s used to going to school in his home town of Florida, used to seeing his friends, used to having class in Spanish.
“Nervioso,” he said in Spanish.
We first met Joemar in mid-October in the San Juan Airport. His father, Guillermo Class, had sold his car to buy plane tickets to get his kids and fly them up from Puerto Rico. The island was almost destroyed (毁坏) by the deadly storm—Hurricane Maria.
Now, they are settling into their new home in Hartford’s South End. A week later, using his wife’s car, Class drove 16-year-old Joemar to his first day at Bulkeley High School. After a short ride, he got out in front of his new school. Inside, he met Gretchen Levitz—the school’s program director.
“I see you have new uniform,” Levitz said. “You look great. Are you ready for a good first day? ”
Then he met couple of teachers.
“Hello” they each said in Spanish. They asked where he was from, and told him they were happy to see him. Then Levitz took him on a quick tour of the school before classes began — to her office, the school store, the library, and the dining hall.
A total of 19 languages are spoken in Bulkeley High School. “We have so many new students coming here from other countries every single day,” Levitz said. “So it’s not like he’s the only one who has that feeling.”
“You could tell he’s little worried,” Guillermo said as we left. “But, at the same time, he’s expecting it.”
1. What kind of feeling did Joemar have on his first day of school?| A．Nervous | B．Excited | C．Annoyed | D．Amazed |
| A．His old school closed down. |
| B．He wanted to see his mother. |
| C．He expected to have a new life. |
| D．His town was hit by a terrible storm. |
| A．He had a long talk with his father. |
| B．He said hello to some of his classmates. |
| C．He learned some simple Spanish words. |
| D．He had a short look around his new school. |
| A．It has no library. |
| B．It is an international school. |
| C．It plans to open Spanish classes. |
| D．It requires all students to wear uniforms. |
10 . I was traveling in Spain with my sister who was living there. I went into a bakery to order a couple of pastries(点心). There were different kinds of bread on a shelf, but only one kind had a little sign hanging from the shelf that said “something something borrachos”. I didn’t necessarily want that kind, but it was the only labeled one, so naturally I waved the guy behind the counter and ordered “dos borrachos por favor”.
I was pretty timid about my Spanish, so I whispered it. The men sitting near me all stopped talking and looked at me. The guy, very seriously, said, “que? quieras? (What do you want?)”
I shyly said again, with less confidence, “dos borrachos por favor.”
All the men around me started snickering(偷笑).
The guy again asked me what I wanted, and he was getting louder. He was raising his voice over the noise of the whole shop. He told me to speak up. Most of the tables now were also quiet.
I was getting a bit embarrassed. I thought he was making fun of my accent or I was pronouncing it wrong. I looked hard at the sign, made sure to pronounce correctly, and shouted “quiero dos borrachos! (I WANT 2 BORRACHOS!)”
He shouted, “aaaah, quieras dos BORRACHOS!” This time, he couldn’t keep a straight face and started guffawing(狂笑), and the rest in the shop followed.
I had no idea what was happening, so I just ran out, empty-handed and ashamed.
I came back and told my sister the story. She started laughing and explained “borrachos” means “drunk men” and the sign probably said that “drunk men were not welcome here” and that sign happened to hang under the shelf.
I had just shouted to a full shop that I WANTED a couple of drunk men.
1. Why did the author go to the shop?| A．To buy something to eat. | B．To see her sister. |
| C．To find a drunk man. | D．To practise her Spanish. |
| A．Confident. | B．Curious. | C．Unsure. | D．Angry. |
| A．The author’s strange accent. | B．The author’s wrong pronunciation. |
| C．The author’s shy behaviors. | D．The author’s unusual order. |
| A．Amused. | B．Embarrassed. | C．Satisfied. | D．Regretful. |
